Water-heater



C. H. TOOMBS. WATER HEATER, APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1919.

Patented Nbv. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. H. TOOMBSI WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, I9I9.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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V CLAUDE I-I. TOOMBS, or GENEVA,- ILLINOIS, assrsnoa TO THE'TOOMBS ivimwrad roams COMPANY, or GENEVA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WATER-HEATER. V

seenss.

Application filed May 24,

T 0 all 20 hom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLAUDE H. TooMBs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Geneva, Kane county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVater-Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to water heaters, and has reference more particularly to that type of water heater wherein the water piston acts to open or close the gas valves as the faucet in the service pipe is correspondingly opened or closed. The invention contemplates as its chief aim to improve the construction and increase the efiiciency and utility of heaters of this type; one object being to provide means cooperating with the piston to'close the gas valve when the water flowing through the coils is being heated too rapidly by the burners, and which is furthermore adapted to prevent involuntary operation of the heater upon sudden changes in pressure incident to the drawing of water from other lines or the sudden closing of hot water faucets. v i j i Another object of the invention is the provision of means in a heater of this type whereby the water chamber piston (1) posi tively operates with the flow of water'and closes the gas valve when the flow is stopped, regardless of variations in water pressure;

(2) prevents the involuntary opening ofthe gas valve due to faucet leakage and permits the passage past it of any sediment or other foreign matter carried in suspension by the water supply; and (3) is adjustable to meet varying conditions of high pressure in thev line of water supply. v Still further objects relate to the provision of means whereby the gas valve has a self closing feature serving to assist the action of the watertpressure against the piston stem area; the provision of a gas chamber having independent gas conduits leadlng separately to the burners and provided with gas ports which when closed by the gas valve serves to prevent any flashing back by air siphonage, or burning at the burner tips;

the provision of a crowned seat formed about said ports to insure tightness in the closing of the gas valve; the provlsion of a lever means in connection wlth'a gas chamvalve. and the burner tips.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 29 1921 1919. Serial No. 299,645.;

stated arrangement furthermore permits the use of a minimum volume of gasbetween the Another important feature of my invention' pertains to the provision of a novel burner construction which is unaffected by dlrt, rust, scale or the condensation from the water coils, together with an arrangement of adjustable air and gas valves for artificial or natural gas'readily adjustable therein to meet the hot water requirements of the installation. In general, my improved water heater is designed foradjustment to meet varying water pressure con-Q ditions including soft water gravity systems, and to deliver a maximum quantity of hot water at a minimum of cost, the amount of gas consumed being regulated to properly heat the water, but not to make steam.

These, together with such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter'appear, or are incident to my invention, I attain by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure lrepr esents'a side elevation of a water heater embodying my invention, part base B and provided with awater .casing or regulating cylinder 0 and gas casing. D.'

Within the shell is disposed a series ofwater heating coils E spirally disposed about the burners E, the convolutions of the coils being preferably fiattenedto provide'ribbonlike water passages 5 whose major axes are substantially parallel with the axes of the burners, and at right angles to the axes of the burner jet outlets 6 which are desirably spirally arranged to correspond with the. spiraling of the coils.' 'The'latter is intending burner.

' with air induction ports 10 and a valve 11 for adjustably controlling the admission of air therethrough.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2, the gas chamber 12 is closed at its lower end by a cap 13, and has an inner wall portion 14 formed with a seriesof gas ports 15 independently leading to separate tubular gas conduits 16 whose outer vertical ends 16 carry the burner tips 9 and also the adjustable needle valves 17 which are 7 designed to cooperate with the conical inlets 18 of said tips to regulate the flow of gas to the burners, as will be readily understood. This wall portion 14 is furthermore provided with a slightly crowned seat 19 formed about each port 15, and a centrally disposed support or standard 20 screwthreaded at its upper end into a socket 21 carried by the plate 7. Each of the gas conduits 16 terminates at this standard and is adapted to communicate at such inner end with the gas chamber 12 upon the opening movement ofthe gas valve 22, the latter having a soft leather disk 22 designed to cooperate with the crowned seats to insure tightness when the valve is seated to close the ports. In the seated position of the valve the gas conduits 16 are obviously closed off from one another, this feature of non-intercommunication between the con duits serves to prevent any flashing back or burning at the burner tips by air siphonage when the gas valve is closed.

The gas casing D is provided with a gas inlet pipe 23 and a stuffing box 24 through which the stem 25 of the gas valve projects, the valve being preferably normally held closed by means of a coil spring 26. The reference character 27 denotes a pilot light receiving its gas supply from the chamber 12 and 28 designates a water conduit leading from the water cylinder C to a supply header 29 common to all of the coils E.

In this cylinder I provide a differential pressure actuated means operated in one direction by the inflow of water from the cold water supply pipe 30 so asto open the gas valve upon the opening of the faucet, and in the other or closing direction by the normal static pressure in the coils to close the gas valve when the faucet is closed. It is also capable of closing the gas valve when the water flowing through the coils heats too rapidly or makes steam. WVith this in view, the water chamber 31 is provided with a lateral chambered extension 82 having a water port 33 normally gravity closed by a check valve 34 interposed in said extension between the supply pipe 30 and the main piston 35 whose downwardly extending stem 37 projects through the stuffing box 36 of the cylinder. To impart opening movement to the gas valve upon corresponding movement of the piston, I provide a bell-crank lever H fulcrumed at 40 upon an arm 38, depending from the gas casing D, and having its short arm 39 adjustably engaging the end of the valve stem 25, the long arm 41 thereof having a link connection 42 with the end of the piston stem 37, which accommodates the arcuate movement of the end ofthe lever 41. It will be apparent that'this arrangement affords ample power to operate the gas valve on low water pressures, and that only a slight travel of the gas valve is needed. The size and travel of the valve is accordingly reduced to a minimum as is also the volume of gas between the valves and the burner tips.

The water cylinder chambers 31 and 32 are respectively provided with closure caps 43 and 44, the latter of which also serves as a guide for the stem of the check valve in its covering and uncovering movement with respect to the supply port 38. It should be observed that an appreciable clearance space is provided at 45 between.

the periphery of the piston and the wall of the cylinder, which is effective in the closed position of the piston, so that in event of leakage at the faucet the gas valveis prevented from involuntary opening vmovement. This clearance also provides a pas sage for sediment, dirt, or other foreign matter which Would otherwise be deposited in the immediate vicinity of the piston to clog its action or interfere with the free flow of the water supply. In order to adapt the piston for employment in connection with high pressure systems, it is formed with a water port or by-pass 46, which, how

ever, when introduced into a low pressure line ma be closed by a pivotally mounted arm. his arm may be adjusted about its holding screw, upon removing the cap 43, to suit the pressure condition of the particular installation. Hence the piston operates in the opening direction with the flow of water, and this operation takes on a positive character regardless of varied pressures. This opening movement of the piston, and also that of the check valve, takes place immediately upon the turning on of thefaucet, and the piston rising under the water flow pressure uncovers the water conduit 28 leading to the coils and opens the gas valveon a short lift through the instrumentality of the bell-crank lever I-I. Upon turning off the faucet,the piston and check valve, in View of the existing overbalanced dlfferential in pressure areas thereof, are closed by the normal pressure in the heater, the closing movement of the piston being imparted valve. Should the burners heat water flow-v ing through the coils too rapidly, or make steam, the water piston closes the valve in view of the relatively greater pressure existing in the heater coils than is present in the cold Water supply line. The entire arrangement is simple and efficient. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an automatic water heater, the combination of a plurality of burners, water heating coils therefor having a coldwater inlet, a gas chamber having a gas inlet and provided with a plurality of independent gas ports leading separately to said burners, a single gas valve normally closing each of said ports, and a water chamber connected with said inlet and provided with pressure actuated means for operating said gas valve.

2. In an automatic water heater, the combination of a water heating receptacle, a plurality of burners therefor, a gas chamber having radially extending gas conduits leading independently to said burners, said chamber comprising a wall portion 'provided with a gas port for each of said conduits, and a gas valve cooperating with said wall portion to simultaneously close all of said ports- 3. In a water heater, the combination of a plurality of water heating coils, burners for said coils, a gas chamber having. a head provided with gas conduits leading to said burners and gas ports communicating with said conduits, and a gas valve normally closing said ports and serving when closed to prohibit communication between the conduits.

4. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber provided with a series of outlet ports, a plurality of conduits, each communicating with one of said ports, a gas burner connected with each of said conduits, a plurality of water heating coils arranged to be heated by said burners, means for supplying gas to said chamber, and a single valve in said chamber adapted to simultaneouslyclosevall 01 said ports to thereby prevent intercommunication between said conduits. 1 I

5. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber provided with a plurality of ports, a plurality of conduits extending from said chamber, each conduit communicating with the chamber through one of said ports,

a seat surrounding each port, a burner vconnected to each conduit, a water heating .coil arranged in cooperative relation to each burner, means for supplying gas to said chamber, a'valve arranged to engage said seats to simultaneously close all of said ports, and water actuated means for control-.

ling said valve.

6. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber provided in its upper wall with a plurality of ports, a plurality of conduits, each communicating with one of said ports, said conduits projecting radially from said chamber, a gas burner connected with the outer end of each conduit, means for regulating the flow'of gas from each conduit to its respective burner, a water heating coil adapted to be heated by each burner, means for supplying gas to said chamber, and, means for simultaneously closing all of said ports, thereby shutting off communication between the various conduits and between each conduit and said chamber.

7. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber provided with a plurality of ports, a plurality of conduits projecting rai dially from said chamber, each conduitbeing adapted to communicate with said chamber through its respective port, a burner attached to each conduit, a water coil sur, rounding eachburner, an annular seat surrounding said ports, and means cooperatingwith said seat to shut ofi communication between said chamber and each of said conduits.

8. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber, a plurality of radially disposed conduits, each communicating with said chamber through an independent port, a burner connected with each of said conduits, water heating coils arranged to be heated by said burners, means for supplying gas to said chamber, avalve for closing v all of said port-s, thereby shutting off communication between the respective conduits and between, each conduit and the chamber,

a spring tending to normally close said valve, a pistonarranged to be operated by the flow of water to said coils, and a powermultiplying lever connected with said piston and with said valve whereby movement of said pistonis transmitted to said valve.

9. In a water heater, the combination of a gas chamber, apluralityof radially extend ing conduits disposed above said chamber, aplurality of ports, each establishing com-j munication between one of said conduits and said chamber, a single valve in said chamber for simultaneously closing all ofsaid ports, a nozzle carried at the outer end of each conduit, a regulating valve for each nozzle, a burner disposed above each nozzle, a plurality of Water heating coils, each arranged in cooperative relation with a burner, a reciprocable piston, a lever, a link connecting one end of said lever with the piston stem, and an adjustable connection between said lever and said valve.

10. In a Water heater, the combination of a Water heating receptacle, a plurality of heating burners, a gas chamber, a plurality of gas conduits, each communicating at one end with said chamber and at the other end with a burner, and means for simultaneously closing the inner ends of all of said conduits to shut off communication between each conduit and said chamber and also shut off intercommunication between the various conduits.

11. In a Water heater, the combination of a gas chamber provided With a plurality of ports, a plurality of conduits, each communieating With one of said ports, a burner car ried by each of said conduits, a water coil disposed in cooperative relation to each burner, and meansfor simultaneously closing all of said ports against communication With said chamber and With each other.

CLAUDE H. TOOMBS. 

